A Cocoa farmer from Assin Fosu in the Central Region, Samuel Torbi, has told the High Court in Accra that the introduction of Lithovit Liquid Fertilizer increased farmers yield describing it as ‘farmers’ “Messiah’.
Mr Torbi who is Second defence Witness for Dr Stephen Kwabena Opuni, the former Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD said the efficacy of the fertilizer cannot be questioned.
“Farmers will not forgive that person because Lithovit liquid fertiliser is a farmers’ messiah and I also don’t believe that any staff from COCOBOD will come out and say such a thing,” he stated.
His response was after he was asked by counsel for the 2nd and 3rd Accused persons (Seidu Agongo and Agricult Ghana Limited) during cross-examination on his reaction when someone says lithovit was of no value to cocoa farmers.
Dr Stephen Kwabena Opuni, (A1) Seidu Agongo, CEO of Agricult Ghana Limited (A2) and the company itself (A3) have been dragged to court for allegedly causing financial loss to the state.
More Read
They have all pleaded not guilty. They have been admitted to bail and are standing trial.
Evidence-in-Chief
Being led by Samuel Codjoe, lead counsel for Dr Opuni, the farmer who owns three different cocoa farms, two in Assin North and one at Assin Central to give his Evidence-in-Chief said, farmers were “happy with Lithovit liquid fertiliser” which he termed the ‘wonder fertiliser’.
Mr Torbi, who has been engaged in Cocoa farming for the past 17 years told the court that his successful period was when he applied Lithovit liquid fertiliser on his cocoa farm.
According to him, prior to 2014/15, he was only using granular fertilizer when he and some farmers were introduced to liquid fertiliser – Lifet A, Sidalco and Lithovit by CHED of COCOBOD.
He told the court that upon the introduction of these fertilisers, a training programme was organised for cocoa farmers in his district on the use of these new fertilisers which he attended.
According to the witness, at the training, the farmers were instructed on the proper use of these fertilisers and were taught how to mix the liquid fertilisers with water and its application on cocoa farms so as to achieve the proper result.
“We were further informed about the advantages of liquid fertilisers including the fact that they did not require much rain. This was the first time I was being introduced to liquid fertilisers and I was naturally fascinated by the fact that, the fertiliser could be mixed in water and sprays on the leaves of cocoa trees with spraying machines,” he noted.
He told the court that since hd had never used any liquid fertiliser and to minimise the effect of the fertiliser, “I decided to apply these new fertilisers to equal portions of my farm.”
He subsequently “obtained a total 3,687KG of cocoa beans which was the highest output I’ve ever had from my farms prior to the 2014/15 season.”
Previously, he said, when he used Asaase Wura, prior to 2014/15, he obtained 3,437kg and that, due to the increase in produce, he became convinced about the efficacy of liquid fertilisers.
Lithivit liquid is ‘Wonder Fertilizer’
The farmer told the court that, in 2015/16 cocoa season, CHED supplied him with 12 litres of Lithovit liquid fertiliser and due to the success he had had with Lifet A liquid fertiliser, he naturally convinced about its efficacy and he also took the risk of applying it on his entire Cocobod farms.
The witness also told the court that, the risk was worth it as he harvested and sold 8,125kg of cocoa beans for the said 2015/16.
“This quantity of cocoa beans was the highest I’ve ever got and more than doubled over the previous year’s yield,” the farmer told the court.
“Having experienced the efficacy of Lithovit, in the 2016/17 cocoa season, I specifically requested the CHED officials in Assin Fosu to be supplied only with Lithovit liquid fertiliser,” but “unfortunately, I was given 8 litres as against 12 litres in 2015/2016 cocoa season.”
It was his testimony that, CHED officials informed him that most of the farmers wanted the Lithovit liquid fertiliser hence they (CHED) could not give him the quantity he requested for.
He told the court that, even with the less quantity of Lithovit liquid fertilizer he received, he harvested 6,187.5kg of cocoa beans.
“This again was remarkable. I was naturally very happy with this Lithovit liquid fertiliser which I termed the wonder fertiliser”.
He told the court that being the chairman of the Cocoa Corporatise in his district he interacted mostly with the cocoa farmers.
Farmers left disappointed
He told the court that, other farmers in his district called and informed him about the efficacy of Lithovit liquid fertiliser.
“I together with other farmers vowed not to use any other fertiliser apart from Lithovit liquid fertiliser. In the 2017/18 cocoa season, I went to the district office of CHED and requested for Lithovit. But I was informed that COCOBOD had ceased supplying Lithovit liquid fertiliser.”
“I was naturally disappointed and I combed the open market hoping and willing to purchase Lithovit liquid fertiliser on the open market to apply on my farm. Unfortunately, I could not obtain any on the market,” he told the court.
Reduction in yield
The farmer pointed out that during that season he harvested and sold a total of 2,500kg of cocoa beans, “a significant reduction in the quantity of cocoa beans from the two previous seasons when I applied Lithovit liquid fertiliser on my farm.”
He told the court that, he did not apply any fertiliser on his farm during that cocoa season.
The witness said, when he applied Sidalco liquid fertilizer in 2018/19 cocoa season, he obtained a total of 2,500kg of cocoa beans, which is again a reduction in the cocoa beans he harvested in the 2014/15 2015/16 cocoa seasons.
“I informed my colleagues about this reduction in my farm as a result of the non use of lithovit liquid fertiliser and they all confirmed a similar observation on their farms,” he told the court.
He also told the court that, in the 2019/2020 season, he again requested for Lithovit liquid fertiliser and he was informed that COCOBOD had stopped supplying that fertiliser. He harvested 3,687kg cocoa beans that year.
Lithovit liquid fertilizer gave highest yield
In his concluding part of his testimony, the witness told the court that, his highest harvest was when he applied Lithovit liquid fertiliser on his farm.
“I harvested and sold the highest quantity of cocoa beans at the time I applied Lithovit liquid fertiliser to my farms. I and my colleague farmers were amused when we were informed by the district office of CHED that COCOBOD had stopped distributing Lithovit liquid fertiliser.
*I state that, Lithovit liquid fertiliser is best I have ever used on my cocoa farm and I add that it is the best fertiliser ever supplied by COCOBOD.
*I confirm that it is a liquid fertiliser and it is very effective,” the farmer told the court presided over by Justice Clemence Honyenuga, a Justice of the Supreme Court.
The case has been adjourned to May 18 for prosecution to continue with further cross-examination.
